The Path of Salvation
by Calvariam Hedum
Summary: We walk in the shadows, and we bask in the moonlight. We are Disciples on a journey to end the Suffering of Man brought on by the Three. We are the followers of the Consumer, who will free us for a better land. We will free him from his prison, no matter the cost, and return him to the Holy Land, so that we may all be Released, and our Suffering shall end. Such is Majora's promise.
1. Discovery

**A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda. The Story, however, is mine.**

They say the fires of war leave none untouched.

Not too long before the Hero of Time embarked on his great quest, Hyrule was engulfed in civil war. In a bold move, the Gerudo king Ganondorf declared that his people would finally succeed from the Royal Family, and they would form their own kingdom. The Hylian king refused to let this happen.

As such, plans were drawn, citizens were conscripted and both sides prepared a defense.

However, not everyone got the message in time. Very close to the border between the Gerudo Desert and Hyrule, there was a small farm. The family that inhabited this place never heard the declaration of war.

* * *

Thus, one night, the farmer was out taking a walk among his fields of crops. His turnips were apparently being either eaten by some kind of wild animal or stolen by a thief. So he walked with a lantern in one hand and a sword in the other in order to hopefully capture the culprit. He carefully made his way through the rows of vegetables, trying to sound as quiet as possible.

As he bent down to inspect a crushed turnip, he heard something far off into the distance. He looked down the road that his field ran parallel too, and thought he heard the far-off sound of metal clattering in the distance.

The farmer blinked. Down the road, he saw light coming from the side of the Desert. He waited a few moments. As the light came closer, he was able to distinguish three torches, each carried by shadowy figure. The farmer scratched his head in confusion. He deduced that these figures were Gerudo judging from the direction they were coming from, which wasn't completely unusual. Merchants and diplomatic envoys frequently passed this farm on their way to Castle Town, but never so late at night.

The Hylian looked up at the full moon looming overhead in the peaceful night sky.

_Probably some important diplomatic emergency _he thought _Maybe some official got arrested in Castle Town. _

He was briefly tempted to just turn around and walk back to his home a few yards away, but the Golden Goddesses encouraged every Hylian to do his or her best to perform good deeds for others every day, regardless of race.

So the farmed stayed on the edge of his crops and the road, and waited to see if these travelers needed any assistance.

Eventually, the group made its way to where the farmer was standing. As they approached, he raised an eyebrow.

_Huh, this doesn't look like any kind of diplomatic procession_ he thought.

The group was actually composed of four Gerudo, three of which held a torch in one hand and a large spear in the other, with fourth leading the way. They were all outfitted in some kind of light armor, but this leader had a red plume coming out of her helmet and a band depicting the Gerudo's symbol on her arm. This leader stepped towards the Hylian.

"You own this farm?" she asked.

The farmer nodded "Yes, do you ladies need anything? I assume you're heading to Castle Town" he responded, hoping to get this over with as soon as possible.

The leader chuckled "Actually, we would like to acquire some valuables tonight."

The farmer blinked "I'm sorry, what?"

The Gerudo made an exaggerated sympathy face "Oh, you didn't hear? Lord Ganondorf has decided to finally break away from you sniveling cowards." She laughed "So please, hand over all of your rupees as well as any valuable trinkets you might have."

The farmer was silent for a moment; utterly dumbstruck by this command.

Without thinking he blurted out "I'm not letting you steal from us!"

The Gerudo leader smiled and clapped her hands "Excellent" She said, smiling. Turning to her troops, she asked "Which one of you wants the honor of having the first kill of the War?"

Immediately the farmer mentally slapped himself for being so stupid. He had a small sword up against three gigantic spears and one scimitar, and he definitely just put his wife and son in danger.

"Wait, you can have our stuff! Everything!" he stammered out, raising his hands up in surrender.

Once again, the captain laughed "Oh come now Hylian, you should know that once you challenge a Gerudo, you can't back down" she chided.

One of the soldiers handed her torch to a comrade, and stepped forward. "I am ready" she stated.

The farmer stepped forward, fear rushing through his body. Trembling, he raised the pathetic sword towards this challenger. The captain stepped back "Go" she said simply.

Two seconds was all it took. The soldier simply stepped forward and plunged her blade deep into the farmer's chest before he could even swing his sword. He fell to his knees with the spear still protruding from his stomach, and began gasping as blood rushed into his lungs. In another second, he fell over, dead.

"Disappointing" the captain mused. "Ah, well, it doesn't matter. Let's just go ahead ransack the house for some loot."

The two other soldiers muttered in agreement. These two and the captain began to casually walk through the fields and toward the house in the distance, but the third stayed behind. Slowly she pulled her spear out of the body lying in front of her. She lingered for a moment, admiring her handiwork.

Just as she turned to follow the others, a hand shot out from behind and covered her mouth. Before she could even try to yell, a dagger emerged, and proceeded to slit her throat.

It was quick, clean, and efficient.

The assailant released his grip on the women, and she fell alongside her own kill. Blood was still flowing from the wound as the assailant stepped over her corpse, and headed toward the farmhouse.

* * *

The farmer's wife was sitting by a small fireplace reading a book when the front door flew open. She shrieked as three Gerudo burst in with evil smiles on their faces.

"Well, let's see if you're a better fighter than your husband was!" the captain said, laughing.

The wife shrieked again as the captain approached her with a scimitar unsheathed.

"Not a fighter, huh? Fine, let's just skip the pleasantries." She said.

Casually, the captain rammed her weapon into the poor woman's body, until she became silent.

"Where the hell is Aisha?" the captain asked as she yanked her scimitar out. She pointed to one of her soldiers milling by the door. "Get out there and look for her!" she ordered.

The soldier nodded, and exited the small house. The other stood stiff at attention. The captain looked at her and said "Dalia, I want you to…" the order was interrupted by the sound of a crying infant coming from behind a door. The captain walked over to this door and turned to Dalia "search the room for rupees or anything valuable, I'll deal with this." she commanded.

The captain kicked the door down and walked inside (she could have simply opened it, but what's the fun in that?). There was a large bed inside, and next to it was a crib. The captain looked inside and saw a baby Hylian boy swaddled in a blanket, and staring at her with frightened eyes. The warrior looked thoughtfully at him for a moment. The Gerudo race only produces one male every century, necessitating that Hylians be taken back to the Valley to ensure the race's survival. When this boy grew up…

These thoughts were interrupted by a loud gasp coming from the main room. The captain whipped around with scimitar in hand, only to be greeted with an arrow flying into the bedroom and embedding itself in her shoulder. The Gerudo stumbled backwards from the impact, and leaned against the bed for support. Before she could even try to pull the arrow out, another flew into her chest. This time, she didn't move.

The infant looked on with the same fearful expression as a figure entered the bedroom. This figure was dressed entirely in black. He had black robes, black boots and a black hood. But, covering his face was a very bizarre mask.

The baby looked at the strange mask, mesmerized by the colors and design. The mask was shaped sort of like a heart. On the top of the mask two horns emerged. Three horns jutted out from each side of the lower half. The mask itself was mostly purple on the top half and the sides, but there was a red shape enclosing the eyes. Large, yellow and dead eyes.

The masked figure stepped over to the fallen Gerudo and shook his head. "Sloppy" he simply said. He placed the bow he was holding around his shoulder and bent down.

"It wasn't that bad" a female voice responded from the doorway. The baby looked over to the sound of the voice and saw a woman wearing identical dark hooded robes and the same exact mask come into the room.

"It should have hit her throat the first time" the male said, more to himself than his companion. He began slipping off the captain's distinctive armband "It should have gone far smoother".

The woman sighed. She looked around the room, and noticed the crib. She looked inside. The baby simply stared into the yellow eyes of the mask. "There's a baby boy here." she said.

The male didn't even glance up. "Unfortunate, but…..seeing as how his parents have been freed, you better Release him." the male responded, with no emotion whatsoever.

The woman stared at the baby for a moment longer. "The Watcher said the Order would need more Disciples to end this War." she said, quietly.

The male stood up "You're not seriously suggesting…."

The woman nodded "There would be no harm in it. If the Watcher rejects this child, then we will simply Release him at the Sanctuary. If not, well….." she trailed off, waiting for a response.

The male sighed "Fine. But you're carrying him."

The woman nodded again, and gently picked up the baby. The boy was still quiet as he stared into the mask, and reached a tiny hand out to grab one of the horns. The woman gently shook her head until the infant let go. "Alright, let's go." she said after a pause.

* * *

The Disciples left the home quietly and walked across the fields to where their horses were hidden in the tall trees. As the women mounted her horse, she held the infant close. She looked up at the full moon in the clear sky.

"Majora's Light will guide us." She stated.

The male nodded "Bask in the Moonlight" he responded.

And the riders vanished into the night.


	2. Baptism

**A/N: Apologies for the long hiatus, but I managed to get a new chapter out.**

* * *

The horsemen rode away from the farm as fast as possible. Eventually, the rock and sand of the desert gave way to the soft green grass of Hyrule Field. After nearly half an hour of non-stop riding, both riders finally allowed their horses to slow to a trot instead of the mad galloping they were just doing.

The male turned and looked at his companion "How's the child?"

The female was awkwardly clutching the baby close with one hand and hanging onto the reins with the other "Um, yeah, he's fine." she responded, a bit exasperated.

The male adjusted his mask slightly and gazed across the open field. "I can see the cliff in the distance, it doesn't look that far".

The female sighed "Well, might as well get into a gallop then, before the sun comes up."

So they did, and they reached the cliff side in only a few minutes. Not all that was left was to find the entrance…..

"Ah, there it is" the male said, pointing out a large amount of vines and bushes covering a part of the cliff face. The riders dismounted and coaxed their horses into entering the opening hidden behind this foliage. For a short while, the two people and infant traveled through complete darkness, which was dead-silent, save for the soft dripping of water on stone in the distance.

The two stopped when they reached the end of the tunnel. The male stepped forward and knocked a couple of times on the door. A voice spoke out from behind the wall.

"What is the fate of the Tormentors?" It asked.

"To be justly consumed in flames" the male responded.

There was a clicking sound on the other side of the wall, and it began to rise. Torchlight spilled out from the opening. The two Disciples stood still for a moment, allowing their eyes to adjust to the sudden light. "Welcome home, Brother" the voice said.

The male's eyes finally adjusted enough to the point where he was able to make out the figure in front of him. It was tall, and wearing the same dark robes and mask as him and his companion, but two large blue fins jutted out from the underside of its folded arms.

"Didn't know you were pulling guard duty tonight, Ahto" the male said.

The Zora simply shrugged "Eh, Soshi said he was too sick tonight. Must have been something in his soup, he said. Anyway, how was your task, Toma?"

The male looked over at his companion "Well, we managed to Release the target, but Hana wanted to bring this thing back" he said, pointing to the sleeping infant.

Hana stiffened up slightly "It's entirely for the good of the Order" she responded, a bit indignantly.

Beneath his mask, Toma rolled his eyes. "Yeah, sure, anyway…" he said, turning to Ahto "We have to see the Watcher, now."

Ahto extended his arm "I think he's talking with Yuma, probably about that wrist-blade Yuma has been working on, but go ahead."

The two Disciples nodded, and walked inside the doorway. Ahto pulled down on a nearby lever when after they walked through, shutting the door.

Adorning the walls of the Sanctuary were various torches casting a soft glow in the tunnels. In between these torches, blood-red banners displaying the image of Majora hung from the ceiling, with a bit of holy text written underneath. Doorways branched off this long passageway to other rooms.

Toma and Hana casually walked down this passageway, passing by several other Disciples who slowed to look at the infant they were carrying in curiosity. All of them wore the same dark robes, but only some were actually wearing their masks. The others carried theirs at their sides. These unmasked Disciples revealed how utterly diverse the Order was. Hylian, Gerudo, Zora and even a few Gorons walked these halls; Brothers and Sisters united by their devotion to Majora.

Eventually, the two reached the end of this long hallway, and came to a set of iron doors, guarded by a Gerudo.

"Hold it, the Watcher is speaking with a Disciple right now" she said, holding up a hand. She looked at the baby. "What is this?"

"A new Disciple for the Order" Hana responded, nodding. Toma simply groaned.

The Gerudo said nothing more, and the group waited for a few minutes until the iron doors opened. A Hylian Disciple with a grin on his face and his mask being carried at his side walked out.

Toma unslung the bow and quiver from around his shoulders and held them out to this Disciple.

"Mind taking these to the Armory?" he asked.

"Hm? Oh yeah, of course" the Disciple said, taking the weaponry. Toma noticed the leather harness on his wrist. "So did the Watcher approve that thing?" he asked.

The Disciple started smiling again "Yeah, pretty much, but there's still a few more kinks to iron out" he said "I estimate this blade will be combat-ready and reproduced in only a few days."

Toma was about to say something, but the Gerudo guard interrupted "I advise you enter and see the Watcher now, before he retreats to his meditation".

The Disciple looked at Toma and shrugged, before turning and walking off down the hallway with the bow and quiver. Hana took a deep breath, and walked through the iron doors cradling the infant with Toma following behind.

* * *

The Watcher's chamber was in the heart of the mountain, and had a massive celling that vanished into the darkness above. Rows of mats were laid out around a raised platform like pews, and on this platform was a large altar, with a small stone totem of Majora. The room was illuminated by two large braziers flanking the stairs leading up to this altar, casting the entire chamber in an unearthly glow. A dark figure stood facing the altar.

Toma and Hana quietly walked in and kneeled down on a mat. Toma reached up behind his mask and carefully removed it, placing it face up on the ground in front of him, to reveal the Hylian face of a man in his late twenties. Hana, who was roughly the same age, did the same.

Toma spoke up first. "Honored Watcher of the Consumer, we have dutifully fulfilled Majora's bidding" he said, holding out the Gerudo armband he removed from the captain.

The Watcher slowly turned around and looked straight at the two Disciples through the eyes of his mask. He wore the same robes as them, but unlike the vibrantly colored masks of the Disciples, his was faded, and looked like it was close to coming apart. However, his mask was never removed, under any circumstances. No one even knew what his face looked like.

"Did you leave any witnesses?" he asked, in a raspy voice.

Toma slowly shook his head "The entire squad was Released, Watcher."

Suddenly, a piercing cry came from Hana's direction. The Watcher shifted his gaze over to see her desperately try to calm the crying baby down. "What is that?" he asked.

Hana stuttered slightly "Its…..it's a new…..Disciple….for the Order"

The Watcher stared at Hana for a moment. "Parents?"

"Ganondorf's forces Released them before we arrived" Hana responded, shooting a nervous glance at Toma.

Another awkward silence followed, until the Watcher pointed at the child, and beckoned the Disciples to come up to the altar. They slowly rose and walked up the steps.

"Place the child on the altar" the Watcher commanded. Hana obeyed.

"Remove the blanket" the Watcher ordered.

Slowly, Hana began to remove the blanket from the now quiet infant. As she unwrapped the blanket from around the child's neck, her hand brushed against a small Triforce hanging from a thread around the baby's neck. Instinctively, Hana's hand jerked back, as if this cheap copy of the Triforce was a red-hot metal. She immediately bowed her head down in a mixture of fear and embarrassment.

"Holy Servant of the Consumer, please forgive me. I should have checked first. I didn't mean to bring this…..sacrilege into your sacred presence…." she begged. Toma quietly watched her with a worried expression.

The Watcher held out a hand "Stop" he said. Hana became silent. The Watcher slowly wrapped his bony hand around the necklace, and gently snapped the Triforce off the thread. He looked at it for a moment, and extended his right hand and gently placed it on the boy's head.

"I will baptize this child in Majora's holy blessing, but you two must raise him as his guardians".

Toma looked up, with a shocked expression "Honored Servant, I don't believe I could do it… it's too soon…" he stammered, staring down at his wrists.

"Have you scars healed?" The Watcher asked. Toma shook his head.

"Then perhaps you will need this child in order to fulfill Majora's will" The Watcher continued.

Toma stood deep in thought for a moment, looking at his wrists. Finally, he took a deep breath and said "Very well. I will care for the child. For the Consumer."

The Watcher shifted his gaze over to Hana. "I accept this responsibility as well" she said.

The Watcher looked down at the boy, quietly staring up at him. "Then I will begin" he announced. The Watcher took a breath, and began speaking; hand on the child's head.

"Innocent youth, thrust into this world of suffering and pain, Majora welcomes you. He will hide you from the piercing light in the safety of shadow. He will free you from the machinations of the Three Tormentors, and will protect you with the light of the moon. You will be protected by the scions of his will, until the day that you too, will finish the work that the Five Exiled started. This blessing shall last until the day when the Consumer finally Releases us all, and end of suffering. The Order of the Moon will be your family. Such is Majora's holy word."

Toma and Hana nodded "Praise be his holy name" they recited.

The infant was still staring into the eyes of the Watcher's mask. The Watcher slowly removed his hand. "I will bestow upon you the name of Deshi. Bask in the moonlight" he finished.

His fist closed around the Triforce in the other hand, strong enough to produce a loud cracking noise. The Watcher turned, and flung the fractured symbol of the Goddesses into a brazier.

There was silence for a moment as the three followers of Majora prayed in silence, until the Watcher held both his arms out. "Go" he said simply.

Hana nodded, and began hastily wrapping the blanket around Deshi. When she finished, she walked down the stairs with him while Toma followed close behind. As they stopped to scoop their masks off the floor, Toma turned and looked at the Watcher. He was turned, facing the stone totem once again, deep in prayer.

Toma quietly sighed, and walked out of the room with Hana. The Gerudo Disciple shut the doors after they left.


	3. Inquisition

The endless march of Time continued on as Hyrule Field ran red with blood. Years of constant fighting and killing began to tear apart the land the Goddesses created so long ago.

The Servants of Majora acted in the background, assassinating key military leaders on both sides in order to bring an end to the mindless violence. Some Disciples botched these assassinations and were lost over the course of the conflict, their masks retrieved, and their bodies burned where they died, in order to leave no trace of their presence.

However, the sacrifices of these Disciples were not in vain, as eventually the Royal Army managed to defeat Ganondorf and return peace to the land.

Now, the Order could finally turn to completing their sacred task given to them at the beginning of Time itself. But, there are still some minor disruptions to be dealt with…..

* * *

As the sun rose over Hyrule one morning, the Sanctuary was completely quiet, save for the gentle tapping of footsteps against the stone floor. Two Disciples walked down the hall from the Watcher's Chamber. They turned into one of the side passageways with a look of disinterest on their faces. This hallway lead to a set of doors lined up along the walls. The Disciples opened one and walked in.

Inside, the room was circular, with a row of ten simple beds against the wall. In the middle of this room was a round table, but only one of the many stools surrounding it was occupied.

"Good morning, Toma" one of the Disciples said to the man at the table.

Toma looked up from the pancakes he was eating. "By the Consumer, you're really heading out this soon?"

The Disciple groaned "You know how the Watcher is. Always anxious. Can't let anyone else get to the seller first in the slightest chance that he happens to have the Prison on his hands."

Toma nodded. The ultimate goal of the Order was to find the Prison, the ancient Mask that Majora himself was sealed in centuries ago, in the hopes of releasing him. Because of how wide spread the Hylian Kingdom was, traders from the farthest reaches sent in brochures of a sort to Castle Town Market listing the items they had in stock. Whenever masks were mentioned on these lists, Disciples were dispatched in to see if these masks were possibly the fabled Prison. Every single time, these were all false alarms, and the Disciples returned empty-handed.

The other Disciple walked over to a chest at the foot of one of the beds and opened it. "Just you watch. We're going to walk all the way to the damn coast only to find out that this is just another wild Cucco chase" he complained as he took out a large knapsack.

"Well, Dante, at least you and Soshi get a chance to travel a bit instead of being cooped up in here" Toma responded, before taking another bite out of the pancakes.

Soshi looked down at the clothes he was wearing "I already feel hot in these" he said "It's going to be one hell of a long walk under the sun". Neither him nor Dante wore the traditional black robes of the Order. Instead, they wore brightly colored clothing of travelling merchants.

Dante tossed the knapsack to Soshi, and took another one out of the chest. "At least you're doing something actually important tonight" he said, slinging the knapsack over his shoulder.

Soshi looked over at Toma "Are you sure you can take her on alone?" he asked, with genuine concern.

"I've Released Sheikah before," Toma responded, not even looking up this time "and I won't be completely alone."

Dante raised an eyebrow "What? Oh, Deshi, right…." He looked around the room "where is he, anyway?"

"He's in the latrine, getting ready for the assignment" Toma answered.

Soshi reached into the knapsack and took out a small dagger. After twirling it a few times, he sheathed it into a scabbard hidden under his coat. "We should get going."

Dante turned to Toma, still sitting at the table "Alright, well, Majora guide you, Brother".

Toma nodded "Bask in the moonlight".

The two Disciples turned and walked out without another word.

After he was finished eating, Toma got up and walked to his own chest. After rummaging around inside for a moment, he found a leather harness and attached it to his right arm. Toma balled his hands into a fist, and flicked his wrist. A long blade shot out of the underside of the harness. He smiled, and released his fingers. As the blade retracted back into the opening, he heard footsteps against the stone floor outside. Toma turned to see an eleven year old Hylian boy dressed in simple clothes fidgeting in the doorway.

"Um….I guess I'm ready" he said, nervously running a hand through his brown hair.

Toma smiled "Relax. This is a going to be great day for you" he said as he got up and rested a hand on Deshi's shoulder.

Deshi looked up at Toma "But… what if I accidentally reveal us? Or what if I mess up the Releasing? Or what if…" he stammered.

Toma smiled again "The Watcher wouldn't have made an exception if he didn't think you were ready for it" he reassured the boy "Plus, I'll be with you, Majora will be with you, and hey, the Hero of Men might be with you as well, seeing as how today is a celebration partly in his honor".

Deshi looked down "But….."

"You will do fine" Toma said, gently lifting the boy's chin up "We'll walk there, you can have some fun at the Festival for the day, we'll Release the target, and we'll return for your Initiation. Nothing will go wrong, I promise".

Deshi nervously nodded, and thought quickly about the ceremony awaiting him that night. The Initiation was a grueling ritual during which an Initiate of the Order was locked in a small room for three entire days with little food or water. During that time, the Initiate would carve his or her own mask out of wood, and meditate on the holy texts of Majora. At the end of the third day, the door would be opened, and the Initiate would go through one final ceremony in which they would become a full-fledged Disciple of the Order. Deshi would be the first child to go through the ritual in centuries, and needless to say, many other Disciples, especially Toma, were nervous about how he would fare.

But the Five Exiles dictated that it must be done that way, and so it was, no exceptions.

Deshi took a deep breath "Alright. Let's go".

* * *

Toma changed into simple peasant clothing himself and hid his mask underneath a coat, and the two left the Sanctuary on foot. It was a beautiful summer morning in Hyrule as the two servants of Majora walked across the green grass of the Field. After about an hour of walking, they reached the gates of Castle Town.

A large group of people were walking through the gate, laughing and singing as they passed beneath the portcullis. Toma and Deshi quietly slipped into this crowd, and followed them inside.

The Market was filled with activity. Streamers and colorful banners hung from the buildings, stalls were all over the place offering products or games to the massive crowd of people in the square, and a band was playing a light, joyful tune from a small stage in the center.

Toma grimaced slightly, as he surveyed the scene. He personally found the Picori Festival to be rather ironic, as the Goddess-worshipping Hylians simultaneously celebrated both one of the Order's greatest triumphs, and one of its biggest embarrassments every year, without even knowing it.

Meanwhile, Deshi's eyes were darting around the plaza in wonder, taking in all the sights and sounds. Toma tapped his shoulder "Go ahead, and have fun. I have to get something done anyway."

Deshi looked up at his guardian with a gigantic grin"Thank you!" he exclaimed as he darted off into the crowd.

Toma shook his head slightly and smiled, before making his way through the people toward the Bazaar.

Deshi walked through the crowd, excitedly looking around for something to do. He passed by an old man who looked like he could keel over and die any second telling the legends of the Hero of Men, and the Hero of the Picori. Deshi ignored him, for he knew the legends already. Well, the true history of the legends, anyway.

Deshi noticed a few kids running into an open doorway. He looked up at a sign above it, read "Shooting Gallery" aloud to himself. He shrugged and walked through the door.

Inside, there was a bit of a line at the counter composed of kids either slightly younger or older than him. Deshi got on the back as a young boy with black hair and a stupid smile picked up a slingshot off the counter and walked over to the firing range. Deshi smiled, remembering all the time he spent at the Sanctuary's own range practicing with a slingshot. He was still not large enough to wield one of the Order's new crossbows, and found using a bow and arrow to be somewhat awkward to use, so Yuma, the Order's blacksmith and weapons designer, made him a small slingshot and some iron balls to practice with.

Deshi was happy to report that after weeks of practice, he would be able to successfully Release a man from a few yards away, by firing an iron ball straight through his throat or eye socket.

Deshi studied the pattern that the targets appeared in as the kid in front fumbled and utterly failed to hit any of them. He threw down the slingshot and started crying. The man behind the counter leaned forward "Hey, kid" he said, slightly annoyed "if you're not going to try again, please step aside so everyone else can try."

The boy stuck his tongue out at the owner and ran out, nearly ramming into a girl coming inside. She looked irritated for a second, but walked inside and got into line behind Deshi, who hadn't noticed anything, as he watched the targets pop up. He was determined to show these Tormentor-worshipping fools how a servant of the Consumer acts.

* * *

Toma strolled into the Bazaar and walked up to the shopkeeper behind the counter"Are your Moon Tears in stock?"

The shopkeeper's eyes darted around the room at the other patrons milling around looking at products. "Uh, I don't know. Why don't you come into the back and we'll look together, sir."

Toma nodded and opened a door next to the counter. On the other side the shopkeeper came around to meet him.

"Glory to Majora" the shopkeeper whispered.

"Praise be his holy name" Toma responded.

The two walked down a short corridor into a small storage room. Amongst the large amount of boxes and crates in this room, a Hylian woman wearing the traditional armor of the Sheikah was leaning tapping her foot and whistling a tune. She stopped whistling as the two men walked into the room. "Nice to see you again, Toma" she said.

"Likewise, Ainu"

Ainu clasped her hands together "So, is the plan still the same?"

Toma nodded "Pretty much. You're going to infiltrate the Castle, convince the target that you're one of her kind, and lure her out into the back alleys of town. There, I will pounce her from behind, Release her, and put an end to the entire damn race once and for all. Simple" he explained.

"Okay, well, there's two problems with that plan" Ainu said, holding up a finger "Number one, I don't really physically look like a Sheikah."

"Wait a minute," the shopkeeper said as he pulled a bottle filled with some kind of soupy red liquid out of his pocket. "This should turn your irises red".

Ainu carefully took the potion and stared at it "What is it?"

"The guy who sold it told me that its Red Chuchu mixed with a Tektite eye"

Instinctively, Ainu's face curled up into a scowl "Is it permanent?"

The shopkeeper shrugged "I didn't think to ask".

Ainu glared at him as she stuffed the potion into a pocket on her armor "Alright, well, there's still the fact that this Sheikah will not leave the presence of Princess Zelda, under any circumstances."

"That's why I brought Deshi" Toma said with a smug expression "he's going to distract her while we conduct our 'business' with her guardian."

Ainu raised an eyebrow "Are you sure? He's kind of….um….awkward"

"I am confident that he will do fine" Toma stated, a bit exasperated "Maybe his 'awkwardness', will be a good distraction."

Ainu sighed "Well, if you say so."

"Then that settles it" Toma said, as he turned around "the sun is going to set soon. I better find him."

"Alright, see you later, I guess" Ainu said, leaning against a large crate.

Toma and the shopkeeper walked back to the front of the Bazaar. As Toma was about to walk back out into the Market place the shopkeeper called out to him "I hope you found what you were looking for sir! Happy Picori day!"

Toma stepped out into the sunlight; he saw Deshi walk out of a building across the square, carrying what looked to be a small bag. Toma made his way through the crowds over to Deshi and tapped him on the shoulder. The boy turned around with a gigantic grin on his face. "Oh, Toma, I was just going to look for you!" he exclaimed.

Toma pointed at the bag he was carrying "So, what's in there?"

Deshi held the bag up with pride and shook it enough so that both could hear the tinkling of gems "Rupees from the Shooting Gallery," he said with a beaming smile "I won them for breaking the record for best score of all time! I guess all that target range time Yuma really paid off, huh?"

Toma couldn't help but give a small smile as well "Great work, Deshi."

The boy nodded and stuffed the bag into his pocket. "So why did you come find me?" he asked.

Toma made a beckoning motion for his finger "Come, we have to get ready for the assignment".

Deshi sighed. "Alright, let's go" he said, slightly disappointed.

The two followers of Majora turned and walked through the reveling Goddess-worshippers and back to the Bazaar.


	4. Guard Duty

"We have some pretty crappy luck, don't we?"

Niklos lazily turned his head to face the guard next to him. "How so?"

"Well," the guard began as he idly rocked his spear back and forth "I could be getting wasted right now, but nooooo. We have to stand here in front of this door all night. It's ridiculous!" he complained.

Niklos sighed and rolled his eyes "I told you two hours ago, the duty allocation was random. The Captain doesn't have a personal vendetta against you, Penin."

"Oh, yes he does!" Penin exclaimed "And he's against you too! Why else do we always have to pull guard duty on the holidays?"

"I'm just doing it for the overtime" Niklos said, glancing at the large double oak doors behind them.

"Yeah, but you don't have anything else to do!" Penin snapped "I have friends! I have a social life!"

"Mmm-hmm" Niklos mumbled as he rested his head against his spear.

"Besides, why would someone burst in here? It's the Picori Festival for crying out loud!"

"Wasn't her Highnesses' ancestor turned to stone during the Picori Festival? Hence the reason we're honoring that other kid?"

"That happened centuries ago! Security has been significantly improved since then!"

Niklos snorted "Oh yes. It improved to the point that any idiot could get past the guys at the gate and lodge himself in that hole in the wall."

Penin frowned "That was one time….

"And weren't you the one on duty at the gate when it happened?"

Penin silently glared at Niklos for a moment. Niklos chuckled.

"You know what, Niklos? Fu- "

A hand shot out from behind Penin and covered his mouth. His eyes widened in shock as another hand shoved his head against the stone wall. Niklos didn't even flinch. "Well, the Consumer bless you. I was getting tired of that inane conversation" he said with a smile.

Ainu dropped the unconscious guard to the floor. "Do you have the key?"

"Of course" Niklos responded, as he took a small silver key off his belt and tossed it to his fellow Disciple. He then knelt down and wrapped his arms underneath Penin's shoulders. "I have to move this idiot to a closet. You have ten minutes until the next shift arrives."

Ainu nodded "We'll be gone in five."

"Then Majora guide you, Sister" Niklos said, as he began dragging Penin down the hallway, grunting with effort.

Ainu waited until he turned a corner, and inserted the key into a lock in the door. She pulled the door open and slipped inside.

**A/N: Yeah, this was one was a bit short. I apologize for the long delay.**


End file.
